


Utterly and deathinitely in love

by Catalinangel



Category: Harry Potter - J. K. Rowling
Genre: Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, Business Owner Harry, M/M, Ministry Worker Tom, Mostly fluff with a bit of angst, Slight Description of Corpses, Slight Emotional Manipulation in the context of a relationship, mentioned character deaths
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-09-15
Updated: 2018-09-15
Packaged: 2019-07-12 17:09:07
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 13,872
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/15999638
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Catalinangel/pseuds/Catalinangel
Summary: One is a business owner. The other, a Ministry for Magic employee. One seemingly ordinary day, their fates intertwine in an unexpected way, after Tom helps Harry escape an unpleasant situation involving Harry’s ex, Draco Malfoy.From then on, their road is paved with suspicion, loving words and murder, as in the village of Hogsmeade, a mysterious killer begins attacking ruthlessly. The Aurors do not have any sort of leads as to who could be responsible, but Harry has an idea.Watch how an innocent civilian that is haunted by his tragic past gets dragged into a complicated and twisted situation, that leaves him confused emotionally and seeking the only refuge he knows: Tom.





	Utterly and deathinitely in love

Heavy snowfall lands on the enchanting village of Hogsmeade. It is probably one of, if not the most well-known British wizarding settlement. Virtually every fully fledged wizard or witch has heard of it at least 3 times, due to its proximity to the Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry, the place where children get educated in the mysteries of magic from a young age. As such, on Hogsmeade weekends, the usually quaint streets are filled to the brim with excited third years, who have not yet explored the village fully, or seventh years, who wish to come into contact with it as much as they can before graduating.

Of course, even when the regularly organized trips to the village are not in motion, the residents can still spot poorly disguised students that snuck out from the grounds through secret passages which are not, in fact, secret, seeing as the walls of the Hogwarts castle are usually thin when it comes to gossip and means to cause mischief.

However, besides the residents of Hogsmeade and the curious students, there are also the nostalgic folk who, on occasion, roam the cobbled streets, their eyes sometimes unseeing, their minds back into the times when they too were part of the groups of teenagers that yearned for a break from the sometimes stuffy classrooms.

Such is the case for one Tom Marvolo Riddle, Ministry for Magic intern on his way to becoming the Minister (at least according to him). Well, actually, not really, since he wasn’t necessarily remembering the days of his teenagehood, but rather trying to re-immerse himself in the unique magic that only exists around Hogwarts, his first home and the one closest to his heart.

To him, although his memories of the times his inner circle would drag him out of the library or the Slytherin Common Room, away from an interesting read and towards the lively village were making the corners of his mouth turn upwards, the feelings of mastering difficult spells while surrounded by the ancient stone walls that were soaked in the very same magic he seeks to bask himself in at the present time.

His meaningless meandering comes to a stop in front of a small, dingy shop he did not remember ever seeing before. Well, he did not remember it being a shop. In his memory, that was but a run down building, that ruined the aesthetic of the whole village. The above sign simply read “Magical Funerary Services” in white, clean but slightly slanted and curvy font. The building itself was attached to the many other much more bubblier-looking stores, the exterior being pure grey stone, while the doors had a grand but ominous feel to them, made out of dark oak wood with an immaculately carved fleur-de-lis pattern.

Despite clearly not being in need of such services, while not ever planning to be, Tom could not help but step forward into the shop, intrigued about how this building came to be.

Inside, there was a plentiful array of caskets, either crafted with the same level of artistry as the front door was, the materials ranging from immaculate white marble to the aforementioned oak or even rosewood, as well as more simple designs.

Tom absent-mindedly wandered through the rows of coffins, his feet attempting to lead him towards the owner of the shop, or the clerk, with the intent of gaining more information. Of course, being stubborn to a fault in his endless quest towards power, knowledge on anything and everything is precious to him. After all, who knows if there will come a time when it would prove useful?

Muffled footsteps can be heard around the corner Tom was about to go around, willing to put a rest to his ceaseless curiosity, when he heard a loud voice shriek.

“What the hell are you doing in here? I thought I told you to stay far away from me!”, followed by a most likely cheap flower vase shattering a few meters away from Tom. Raising an inquisitive eyebrow, the tall wizard opted to peek around the corner, to avoid the chance of getting struck by another flying piece of decor.

Internally, he scoffed at the situation. Really, to an outsider, he must have looked like an embarrassed fourth year girl, eager to glance at her crush inconspicuously. He had had his fair share of these types of admirers in his Hogwarts years, although he was always aware of their, in his opinion, annoying and invasive gazes.

Back to the present, however, the sight that greeted him was not one that he expected.

In front of the check-out desk, there was a man in his mid-twenties, with slicked back blond hair and expensive thick velvet robes, who was leaning on the counter casually. On his pale face, an almost wolfish grin showed perfectly straight white teeth, stormy grey eyes shining with mischief.

Behind the desk, though, was the real show stopper. Most likely the one to have yelled earlier, this wizard seemed ready to whip out his wand and torture the one that was taking up a fair bit of his personal space. With brilliantly green eyes, hidden behind round-rimmed glasses with such a thick lens, that it was a wonder Tom could tell what his irises looked like, the man was staring furiously at the other, his inner rage providing them a dangerous glow from within.

His fury was not unlike his own when provoked, Tom noted with both amusement and interest. The man’s already unruly and dark curly mess of a hair seemed to stick up even more, perhaps prompted by the wild magic that was swirling around his lithe form. The atmosphere, full of electricity caused by untamed magic, made hairs on the back of Tom’s neck stand up.

“Oh, what’s the matter sweetheart? I thought you said you never wanted us to be apart? You never wanted to live a single day without me? What has happened with that?”, the blond asked with a playful leer on his pointed face.

“That was before you cheated on me, you imbecile! Now, get out before I make sure you need one of those caskets!”, was exclaimed with such rage that even Tom flinched a bit. Good thing nobody in the room was watching him, he thought.

“Whoa there, Harry, there is no need to get so violent.”

For the first time, the apparent intruder did the right thing and put his hands up in mock surrender, taking a few steps back, his cockiness thinning out a bit at the serious tone of the other.

Tom deemed this as the appropriate time to intervene, as his patience was running short and his lunch break would not go on for much longer. And he really was not going to pass up the opportunity for at least knowing the full name of the powerful enraged wizard, as well as damaging his spotless reputation in the Ministry.

“I believe that if one of the employees of the establishment deems you unwelcome on the grounds, it is advisable to leave”, Tom said firmly, advancing from his position into the other wizards’ fields of view. “That is, of course, if you do not wish for me to call the Aurors. My requests for them happen to be quite high on their priority list, so they would arrive promptly.”, the tall and imposing man added with a slight glare to the blond, whose face started to pale a bit at the sight of him.

Tom would never rely on those over-energetic Aurors, though. He would much rather deal with the issue on his own, with the use of a couple of dark spells that are sure to make whoever stands in his way never do that again. However, he is in the presence of this “Harry”, whose stance on dark magic is still a mystery to him and seeing as the Ministry is still very much against anything that is not light magic, it would be foolish of him to out his alliances to a complete stranger. Also, his chances of gaining control of Wizarding Britain though a diplomatic approach would get destroyed.

Now that Tom sees him from less of a distance, he looks uncannily like one of his colleagues, Lucius Malfoy. A bit of an interesting turn, as, despite the elder man being higher in the Ministry hierarchy than him (at least for now), Lucius would not refuse one of Tom’s orders, taking into account his strong sense of self-preservation.

It appears as though Lucius has taught his insolent son a bit, seeing as he manages to recognise Tom’s face. He nearly scoffs at the thought right after it crosses his mind. Of course he does. All of the members of high-standing pureblood families in the British Wizarding society should be able to.

The blond, Draco, if Tom recalls correctly, which he most likely does, suddenly remembers all of the etiquette he was taught ever since his toddlerhood and straightens his back, his expression going blank so as to not show any further fear of the obviously powerful wizard in front of him. Tom can tell from afar, though, that despite his change in visage, his eyes betray his discomfort at Riddle’s barely concealed threat.

“I shall get going, then. Until next time, Harry.”

Draco utters the last word as a cat would purr before preying on an unsuspecting mouse, before turning on his heels, and heading for the door, but only after nodding to Tom once in a display of respect. Despite his callousness, he at least knows the consequences of treating Tom Riddle poorly.

When the wizard turns his gaze again on the aforementioned Harry, he already has his eyes locked on his form, a calculating quality in them. Now that the Malfoy offspring has left the premises, the furious energy that was polluting the air in the small store was washing away.

“I suppose it is only right to thank you for helping me there”, the bespectacled wizard uttered, rubbing the back of his neck in a slightly bashful manner. “I’m Harry Potter, by the way”, was added with a warm smile and a handshake offering.

After a moment of thought, a bit taken aback by Harry’s sudden mood swing, Tom took his hand into his own, introducing himself with a simple: “Tom Riddle”.

“I have to apologise, though, because of what you just witnessed. He is a rather annoying individual, who does not seem to know how to respect people’s boundaries,” he adds, throwing Tom a friendly smile.

“It is of no issue. Every one of us has had to deal with one of his sort at least once in their lives,” Tom stated with a rare slight upwards turn of his lips. ‘And some of us know how to deal with them effectively, so as they never repeat their actions again,’ was supplied in Tom’s thoughts. He eerily seemed to get along with Harry in a very short period of time.

“Are you interested in some of my products? If yes, then I’m sorry for your loss. Please, do tell me how I can assist you today,” was said in a professional, well-practiced way by the shop-keeper, apparently going into business mode.

“Actually, no. I just happened to enter this store out of sheer curiosity as to when it was established. I am quite inquisitive by nature, so I just felt like I had to know the circumstances in which it was transformed into a store, as I do not remember it being here in my days as a student.”

“Oh,” was murmured with a slight widening of the eyes. “Well, I’m actually the owner of the shop. It was an old family business, but my father has not picked it up and I figured I would in his stead. It has been active once more for only a year and a half, so maybe that is why you are only now aware of its existence”. There was no need for Harry to mention the early passing of his parents in front of what was essentially a stranger, just because he asked for it.

Tom only nodded to show he understood the younger wizard’s words. Somehow, even after having been made aware of what he wanted to know, he still felt a bit... empty. As if he wasn’t sated just by hearing Harry’s story.

Regardless, Tom decided that there is no further need for his presence in the relatively small shop, so, with a “Thank you” and a “Have a good day”, he departed from the store and apparated back to the Ministry, a couple of minutes late but sure nobody would chide him for it.

Harry, on the other hand, was left quite puzzled at the whole encounter, finding himself wondering about the admittedly handsome stranger that happened to walk into his store, save him (though Harry thought he would have managed himself just fine) and then out of the blue ask him about the origins of his business.

Deciding to shrug off the strange occurence, Harry got back to reading his abandoned novel on his desk, mentally making a note to look into wards meant to keep a specific person out of a building.

 

* * *

 

The second time Harry and Tom met was at Tom’s workplace instead, the British Ministry for Magic. Harry was just in the golden elevator that was supposed to take him to the floor where his best friend, Ron Weasley, worked, when none other than Tom Riddle stepped in, a deep frown set on his rather pale face.

When the two made eye contact, the older wizard raised a curious brow, silently asking about Harry’s business there, in the middle of a workday.

“I am visiting my friend who is an Auror, Ron Weasley,” Harry let him know while muttering, so that the other employees wouldn’t be able to hear.

Tom hummed and nodded slightly. The two waited side by side for the right floor, at which both stepped out.

“As it so happens, I too have business with this friend of yours,” Tom supplied, striding with long steps towards the office door with the redheaded wizard in question’s metal name plaque plastered on it. Harry struggled a bit to be in pace with Tom, due to his shorter build. Also, his gait did not seem to be as graceful as Riddle’s was, his more like a puppy tripping over his legs.

When they reached their destination, Tom did not bother to knock, instead opening the door too forcefully, startling the red robed wizard who was leaning over his desk, analysing some case files.

“Riddle,” Ron spat, his lip curling in a sneer, thinly concealed distaste marring his freckled face. “What do you want?”

Tom, on the other hand, seemed to be happy to see him, to someone from far away. Up close, though, his smile was showing too many teeth, almost baring them like a predator ready to pounce. Harry, who was hidden behind Tom’s larger frame, did not see his expression and was confused as his best friend’s choice of facial expression. “Now, now, Auror Weasley. What happened with being civil towards your workmates?”

Harry could easily pick up the sarcasm in Tom’s voice, so he concluded that the two Ministry employees did not get on well with each other.

“I have a file on the recent murder in Hogsmeade from Head Auror Alastor Moody to deliver to you,” Tom stated, extending his hand that was indeed holding a manila file with plenty of papers inside it. It seemed that they had plenty of leads for the case. Harry hoped it would be solved soon, although he was secretly glad for the chance of a sale. It made him feel like shit, how he benefitted monetarily from others’ mournful situations, but this was the way he could honour his late father and bring some food to his table.

Ron seemed suspicious of Tom and carefully grasped the file from Tom’s long fingers, taking a glance through it to make sure it really was what Tom said. Ron knew Riddle was a pathological liar and he could not be fooled like the rest of the higher-ups, who Tom would frequently suck up to for a better chance of a promotion.

“Why the hell did he send you, of all people? What, was he staying close behind you to catch you practicing dark magic and thought he’d try and give you the chance to kill or harm me with this?”

At that, Tom actually laughed. A cruel, mocking laugh that sent shivers down Harry’s spine. For some reason, seeing Tom’s broad shoulders shaking because of the cold snigger made his insides curl in an almost pleasant way.

“Actually, no. He just walked past me on his way to the floo fireplaces and handed me that,” Tom droned out in a matter-of-fact way, gesturing to the file Ron had already dropped on his desk, “with the clear instruction to give it to you. On my way, I met up with Harry and we walked together.”

At that, he finally side-stepped out of the door’s way, to show Ron, who had his eyes wide open, in alarm, that his best friend was indeed there. The red head suddenly pushed his chair behind and stood up, practically running to give Harry a tight hug. The wild-haired wizard, of course, also tightened his arms around the man’s shoulders, a bright smile making its way up his face.

Tom grit his teeth at the sight, vexed at how Harry did not smile like that when he first set his eyes on him some minutes ago.

“I missed you, so I thought I’d pop in here for a surprise,” Harry exclaimed cheerfully, breaking the hug to look into his friend’s familiar blue eyes.

“Well, then, we may have to go and see Hermione as well. She hasn’t stopped talking about how you should have come to the Ministry with us, you know? It’s almost like we’re back at Hogwarts,” Ron reminisced, smiling fondly.

“Yes, remember when we broke into the broom shed during first year, just so we could fly at night? She rambled and scolded us about safety without an end for a week after that!” Harry laughed, having in his head the image of an eleven-year old Hermione Granger, whose brown untamable curly hair got even frizzier when she found out and while glaring at them and chiding them.

Now, she was an employee along with Ron at the Ministry, but she was a part of the Department for the Regulation and Control of Magical Creatures, fighting for the freedom of house elves and werewolves who have shown restraint while in their human forms, as well as a wish to be treated more as wizards than mindless animals.

She kept pestering him to become an Auror, once she found out Harry was going to become the owner and worker at his shop, making note of how it was Harry’s teenagehood dream to fight dark wizards. While that might have been true, that no longer is the case. When he found records of the Potters owning the Magical Funerary Services shop and how James Potter did not, his sole thought was to run it.

While the two friends were chatting away about how their lives have been, Tom stood there a bit awkwardly, taking in the sight of an extremely bubbly Harry, taking animatedly with Ron. In comparison to his rage-filled eyes the first time he saw him, now they were practically sparking with mirth.

At some point, Ron leant forward and whispered to the glasses-wearing wizard, so Tom could not hear: “How do you know Riddle?”

First, Harry frowned in confusion, seeing no need for his friend’s conspiratorial tone, but started explaining the circumstances in which Tom kind of saved him from an unsavoury talk with Malfoy, at which Ron, concerned, asked whether he was okay. Harry nodded, blushing a bit and turning to Tom, “Well, it was thanks to him that I was.”

Harry knew he sounded like a damsel in distress and knew he was able to take on Malfoy if push turned into shove, but he was unsure how much he would have been able to hurt the blond, seeing as he still had a bit of a soft spot for him. Three years of a relationship was a bit difficult to forget.

Ron once more frowned at Tom, who still sat there watching them, a smirk on his face after Harry said that. He suggested visiting Hermione now, since it was close to their lunch time break anyway and so they made their way to the golden elevators anew, but not before Harry turned to Tom and bid him goodbye. Ron’s face seemed just the tiniest bit more sour after that, but grew cheerful once more while chatting with Harry.

However, he made sure to warn Harry about hanging around people like Tom, stating that “He is a dark wizard” and that Harry needs to be careful “not to be cursed or anything”. Harry was not sure what to make of his best friend’s concerns, though, since Tom seemed nice and pleasant enough whenever Harry was in his presence, which was not, admittedly, many times, but Harry knew it was wrong to judge people without giving them a fair chance, so he settled for “innocent until proven guilty”, when it came to Tom.

Hermione’s idea of a catching up with your friend chat meant an hour and a half talk, asking in way too much detail for Harry’s liking, how he has been and what he has done in the few months they hadn’t seen each other. Despite being a bit uncomfortable with the prodding - he was an adult damn it – Harry did not find it in himself to be angry at her. After all, only Mrs. Weasley and Hermione were the ones allowed to do that.

Their fussing over him was a very maternal thing, something he had not really had the time to experience, due to his parents’ deaths. They both passed away when he was 5 years old, while protecting him. A dark wizard infiltrated their home and wished to cause his father grief for a raid that has been organised in his home and so he decided to murder his mother and him.

Unfortunately, the dark wizard’s information was wrong and his father had been home the night he decided on attacking them, on Halloween. While duelling, his father contacted the Aurors, but, by the time they had arrived, both his mother and father have been killed. The dark wizard in question was sentenced with the Kiss and so Harry was sent to live with his only relatives, the Dursleys, who did not like magic folk, so they treated him horribly.

Their abuse, however, was stopped during his third year, once the Head of Gryffindor House, Minerva McGonagall, had a thorough talk with them. From then on, while not being hit ever again, they did not dote on them either, merely making sure he was well enough cared for that the Hogwarts professor would not return.

His stay at the Dursleys was cut short when he discovered that his godfather, Sirius Black, was charged and imprisoned for selling out his parents to the dark wizard who ultimately killed them. After that, he did his best to prove his innocence, even going as far as unmasking who truly was at fault: Peter Pettigrew, another of his parents’ friends – well, he turned out not to be one, being enticed by the prospect of the money the dark wizard gave him – that was thought to be dead, playing as Ron’s rat.

Due to the testimonies Harry struggled to provide, his godfather was released and, with numerous reluctant apologies from the Ministry staff, he was offered once more his position as Auror. Harry lived with his godfather up until he graduated, when Sirius was murdered by a masked wizard during an extremely risky mission, in his attempt to protect another one of his colleagues. Harry was depressed for months after that and could not bear to live in Sirius’ house, so he decided to live in his store in Hogsmeade.

With those thoughts Harry found himself absent-mindedly strolling towards the floo network fireplaces, only being snapped out of it due to the sudden grabbing of his bicep. His instinct kicking in, he immediately turned around, ready to curse whoever was grasping his arm. He did not expect for his wand’s tip to almost touch Tom’s cheek.

Harry’s eyes widened almost comically when he made eye contact with Tom and retracted his wand with a muttered “Sorry”.

“It is quite all right. I would have reacted the same if someone were to touch me like that,” Tom answered sincerely, a small smile climbing onto his handsome face.

In actuality, Tom did not know why he had come there. Once he saw Harry’s figure, he was overcome with an unexplainable feeling and his feet seemed to begin moving without his consent. Now he had to actually say something to Harry. And so, he blurted out, quite unbecoming of him, he would remark later, the following:

“Would you like to meet up at The Three Broomsticks sometime? Maybe the next Tuesday, at 2 in the afternoon?”

Tom realized after he finished speaking how foolish he must seem. Really, they merely saw each other two times and now he was asking the man out? Before he could retract his invitation and apologise, Harry nodded a bit too enthusiastically, with reddened cheeks and exclaimed, “I’d love to! See you in front of the pub, then!”

Harry thought, with too much excitement than necessary, that it was Tom’s chance to prove himself to be a good person, so Ron would no longer warn him about being around him. Harry thought it was a good opportunity to get to know Tom better, since he knew virtually nothing about him, other than his workplace and that he was older than him by at least 7 years.

With that, he waved to Tom and threw some powder in the fireplace, articulating the name of the shop and shooting one last smile at the older wizard, whose heart started beating loudly in his chest.

Confused by his body’s reactions when it came to the green-eyed wizard, he vowed to try and find out the root cause of them, while also planning ahead for their meeting (date), to make sure he would not be late or do anything unsightly.

* * *

 

It was no longer an accident when Harry and Tom met each other for the third time.

The heavy grey clouds seemed to be merciful on the village of Hogsmeade on this particular day, since it was no longer snowing heavily. Instead, a deceiving sort of sun was out, not heating the air in any conceivable way, but making people think it was a good idea to head outside. Thus, Hogsmeade was terribly busy when the two wizards were supposed to see each other.

Harry had been waiting patiently in front of The Three Broomsticks for about fifteen minutes, since he had been so nervous about this, that he accidentally left his shop at twenty to two o’clock. Well, as patiently as he could, when his mind could only come up with the worst turns their date would take. What if Tom was only joking? What if Harry made a fool of himself and Tom would realise that it was a mistake to ask him out? After all, he was just plain Harry.

He did not think really highly of himself. The Dursleys made sure of that. But through this, his friends and Sirius managed to heighten his self-esteem to a point where he is content. Though, he still has thoughts like these in moments where he is particularly stressed.

Harry did not even notice he was pacing until he turned around and at Tom’s smooth and attractive voice:

“Hello, Harry. I apologise if I made you wait. Shall we head inside?” Tom asked. He looked dashing in a black coat, immaculately clean, with polished black shoes and navy blue trousers. In actuality, Harry was a bit jealous of his good looks, his hair seeming effortlessly attractive, with that signature curl over his pale forehead.

Tom also had his eyes scan his date from toes to head. In comparison, Harry’s outfit was much more laid-back: he had a light brown outer robe, with dark jeans on the underneath and a pair of brown leather shoes. Their choices of tops were similar, though, Tom opting for a straight-ironed white shirt, looking like a successful Muggle CEO, and Harry wearing a white shirt underneath a cozy red sweater.

When you saw them separately, you could easily pick out the differences between the two, one whose appearance was more formal than the other’s. But together, they seemed like a wonderful fit. Opposites do attract, as they say. Such a wonderful fit that, upon entering, the waitress, Rosmerta, could not help but silently coo at them, thankful that the loner Harry has finally found someone. There was no doubt in her mind that the two would get on splendidly and that very opinion appeared to be the same for all the customers and other staff of the pub.

When they reached their table of choice, Tom, like the gentleman that he wanted to be perceived as, pulled the chair for Harry and smirked at the younger wizard’s blush at the slightly old-fashioned action.

After ordering their choices of drinks, both of them going for the classical butterbeer, a staple in the wizarding world when it came to drinks, Harry immediately pounced on the opportunity to get to know Tom better:

“So I know that you are obviously older than me, but I don’t know exactly how much older,” after a second of thought, adding, “Not that that’s a problem or anything! I mean, unless you are like 50 or something. You aren’t, are you?” Harry asked while narrowing his eyes a bit and tilting his head, as if assessing whether what he insinuated could be the case or not.

At the cute expression, Tom let out a genuine chuckle. “I am not. I am currently 27 years old, so I assume we barely missed each other’s times at Hogwarts. You are twenty, are you not?” At Harry’s nod, Tom continued, “A fact which I am glad of. Because I do not think I would be able to help myself, even if you were to be younger...”

With that, he softly grasped Harry’s chin with his fingers, as if holding a porcelain cup and Harry would have fallen on his knees if he were standing, that’s how much his legs turned into jelly at Tom’s affectionate gesture. A dumb smile started curving Harry’s (in Tom’s opinion) delectable lips and the elder wizard had to focus terribly on not capturing them. Not yet.

On the back of Tom’s mind, he was extremely confused with his gestures and thoughts. Never before has he felt such a strong urge to do these things. He is by no means inexperienced, though, being in need of these sorts of advances, especially towards older women, in his quest for advancing in his career path. The way his instincts just seem to surface whenever Harry is involved... He would have to look into that. For the moment, he is content in just letting this date play out.

After releasing Harry, the two start chatting away, telling each other with incredible ease more details about their daily lives, their school years and past experiences. Of course, with a limit. Both of them would not reveal personal secrets on their first date. Tom and Harry are both more cautious than that. They do not even notice the other people come and leave and the sun going down, until Rosmerta has to approach their table and say:

“I’m sorry to be interrupting you, but we will be closing in half an hour, so we would kindly ask you to pay for what you purchased and leave the pub. I apologise for the inconvenience.”

Her words bring a confused frown on Tom’s face. The older wizard breaks his gaze from Harry’s strikingly green one and takes a glance at one of the windows of the establishment. To his absolute surprise, Rosmerta is right. He was so lost in his conversation with Harry, that he barely noticed the passing of time. Good thing he persuaded his higher-ups for a day off, since having to cut short their engaging conversation would have spoiled Tom’s mood.

He smiled and apologised as well, opening his wallet before Harry had a chance to think about the bill and leaving a couple of additional galleons as a further apology.

“I’m paying this time,” he said to Harry in his most charming voice, winking at him.

‘This time?’ Harry wondered in his thoughts. Does that mean there will be a next time? Harry would be glad if that were the case. He has never met someone quite like Tom. His way of speaking and gestures were definitely telling of a Slytherin, but Harry found he did not mind that in the least. You would think that because of his past unpleasant experience with a Slytherin, that he would avoid that sort of people for some time, but Tom was, quite frankly, irresistible to Harry.

He often spoke of his magical prowess and his connections that run deep into the core people of Magical Britain, which, admittedly, Harry would have found annoying, if not for the almost reverent way he described the myriad of magicks he performed. The bespectacled wizard found those last descriptions utterly captivating. It was kind of like how Severus Snape, his former Defense Against the Dark Arts teacher used to talk to them about curses and defeating them. While Harry definitely did not like the man, he had to admit that he was a good teacher in this sense, being able to capture the students’ attention effectively.

Tom felt just as enraptured by Harry as the younger felt by him. The way his untamable curly hair always seemed to poof up more whenever Harry would excitedly talk about something, how his eyes seemed to sparkle brighter than the sun in July at the mention of the people he admired, a list which Tom wanted and decided to be a part of, how his cheeks would turn red from being out of breath when the most exciting parts of the story would be over, because of how fast he would talk, the sheepish smile and apology that always followed not even a moment after.

To Tom, Harry’s inner fire and warmth was something he desperately wanted to feel for himself, seeing as he was the only one whose expression did not light up at the mention of Tom’s position in the Ministry hierarchy, but rather when he spoke tales of intricate magic and the short travels that followed his graduation, in his effort to gain more knowledge of spells and potions and basically everything relating to magic that was not taught at Hogwarts.

The two wizards gathered their outer wear and exited the pub, settling for a relaxing stroll on the beautifully lit streets of Hogsmeade, during which Harry shyly interlocked their gloved fingers. At this, Tom let out another chuckle and took Harry’s hand into his properly, both reaching an unspoken agreement to just enjoy each other’s presence in silence for this last part of their date.

Fifteen minutes later, Tom deemed it was a bit too cold outside and it was getting really late, and so he changed the course of their walking until they arrived in front of Harry’s shop. Harry was kind of sad the date was essentially over, having spent such a wonderful time with Tom. He really did not understand what Ron had been talking about, now that he was thinking about it. Tom was nothing but considerate and gentlemanly this whole day and Harry definitely wanted to spend more time with him.

Tom raised their linked hands and pressed a gentle kiss on Harry’s gloved knuckles, while maintaining eye contact with him. “I enjoyed myself thoroughly tonight and I hope you did the same. Would you like to exchange addresses, so we could have a means of talking to each other, via letters?”

When Harry finally realised he had been spoken to, having been in a daze after the immensely affectionate gesture from Tom, he replied, “Oh! I too found this day to be really fun! And yes, I think it would be a great idea to give each other our addresses.”

After doing just so, the two bid each other good night and Harry entered his shop, leaning with his back on the door in hopes of calming his heart down. Tom had also enjoyed his time with him! Honestly, Harry thought he was rather boring compared to Tom, but apparently the other found him intriguing in some sense as well. He really looked forward to exchanging letters with Tom.

* * *

 

A month after their first official date found them having their third one. Considering the fact that a third one is in motion, it is only natural to assume that the two had as much of a pleasant time as they did on their first.

This time, Harry and Tom were in Diagon Alley, another core location in every witch and wizard’s life, since this would be the place where they usually would acquire their first wand, along with the necessary supplies for their first year at Hogwarts. It was a nostalgic place for both of them, so, at Harry’s initiative, they met at Florean Fortescue’s Ice Cream Parlour and secured a more secluded table in the back of the shop.

Although Tom felt almost giddy at the prospect of another date with Harry, he noticed how the other seemed a bit forlorn when they first saw each other that day and had been trying to hide that from Tom. Despite not being officially lovers, Tom felt the tiniest bit betrayed at Harry’s attempt and planned to ask him about it as soon as they were seated and away from all of the other people around them.

Having ordered their desired flavours of ice cream, Tom cut the chase: “Harry. I could not help but notice how you seem rather down today. Is something the matter? Has Draco Malfoy caused you trouble again?”

Even mentioning the blond wizard made Tom’s blood boil. How dare he harass Harry like that. Naturally, after having a thorough “chat” with him and his father, the other did not come into contact with Harry again, but knowing him, he was capable of defying Tom, a fact which did not sit well with him. If Tom were forced to give Draco a second warning, things would not turn out pretty for the blond, that was for sure.

“Oh, no. Nothing like that. I am actually a bit puzzled as to why he hasn’t come by since you shooed him away the first time we ment. Merlin knows he loves to bother me,” Harry said, clenching his fist under the table.

“I just... I feel like such a terrible person. My business has not been thriving as of late, but I simply cannot wish the death of the village people. Not when they helped me so much when I was getting started with my shop. I really fucking hate myself for even thinking this, Tom, however, I need to make some kind of profit, otherwise I need to close down the shop and find someplace else to work. And I really do not wish to do this, since this is the only way to honour my family.”

A deep frown settled on Harry’s features, before continuing, “You know, the Potters had the same shop business running in the past, but my father... He did not want anything to do with it, so he became an Auror, thus leaving the store altogether. I thought about becoming an Auror myself, but I do not think it is for me. While I am pretty good at duelling and I wished for that back when I was a teen, hunting down dark wizards is dangerous.”

Harry seemed reluctant to say what was on his mind, so Tom reached out and squeezed his hand in a comforting gesture, while nodding his head slightly to show that it was okay.

The wild-haired wizard took a measured breath, “My mother and my father were both killed by a dark wizard, when I was 5 years old. My mother died protecting me while my father was duelling him. After that, I grew up with my abusive relatives, before I was taken in by my godfather, who also died by the hands of another dark wizard during one of his missions as an Auror. It is only natural for me to be reluctant to join a career that has taken so many people from me...”

At the mention of his godfather, Harry’s eyes started filling with tears and by the time he was done, they were falling down his face freely. Since the two sat beside each other, Harry decided to bury his head in Tom’s shoulder and just let it all out. All the grief and suffering that he held back for the past three years, as well as the anguish at never being able to have his mother sing a lullaby for him again, or have his father pat him on the back after doing a good job.

Tom was a bit surprised when Harry leaned on him, but soon began to massage his head in an effort to soothe him. He knew he could not lessen his emotional pain by doing that. Those sorts of wounds never truly heal, but at least he could try and lull him into a sense of calm once more.

It was only after 20 minutes of full sobbing that Harry finally managed to calm down a bit. He reluctantly sat back down on his seat and grabbed a napkin to somehow make himself presentable once more.

“I am really sorry... I messed up our date, didn’t I? I even ruined your shirt...” Harry whispered as his gaze turned to the table in front of him. Why did he always have to do this? Whenever he gets close to a person, he has to ruin it because of his insecurities or past. Harry bit on his lower lip in an effort to not begin crying anew. It would do no good for Tom to see more tears from him. “I-I’ll leave, if that is what you want...”

Harry began picking up his things when a hand stopped him. His chin was once more in Tom’s grasp, being lifted so Harry’s gaze could lock in with Tom’s. His dark brown eyes were full of compassion, but also...anger?

“Harry... You did not ruin anything, you hear me? I am actually glad you finally opened up to me. To be honest, when we first began talking about our childhoods, I noticed you were stumbling with your words and you skipped over a whole chunk of it, getting into your time at Hogwarts really quickly. I am sorry to hear about your losses. I promise you, I will find out the person who murdered your godfather, and I promise I will make sure they regret it,” Tom vowed, his eyes full of determination and mouth set in a thin line.

His lips turned into a small smile again, though, “You are stronger than you imagine, Harry. To carry this burden with you for such a long time. Do you want to know something?” At Harry’s small nod, Tom continued, “I am an orphan as well. My mother died while giving birth to me and when I finally found my father,” Tom spat out the word with such contempt, that Harry actually shivered, ”who abandoned her just because of her being a witch, he was already dead, along with his parents.”

That was a lie. Tom murdered both his father and grandparents when he visited them after his sixth year at Hogwarts. He was not planning to, but his father’s hateful gaze made him realise that he was truly alone in this world. His mother’s inbred family died before he could go to school and so his father did, at Tom’s hands. There was no need for Harry to know this, though. Not yet, anyway.

And so they ate their melted by this point ice cream, while telling each other the things they were unwilling to before. Of course, Tom did not confess to everything he has done. That would surely make Harry report him to the authorities. No, only the slightly deeper than surface level stuff would have to do for now. He would have to ease Harry into his ideas and past step by step, to ensure he does not run away.

Surprisingly, for Tom, he found himself growing attached to Harry, something he did not predict. However, that was not necessarily a bad thing. Harry was powerful, although not fully aware of it himself, so he could be of help to Tom in his journey to taking over the British Wizarding World. Also, Rosmerta was right. They do make quite the pair together.

It was getting close to the 14th of February, therefore, there were a lot of hearts decorating Diagon Alley when the two lovebirds decided to walk together hand in hand. Harry’s nose was still running a bit, but Tom did not mind that one bit. The slightly fragile side of Harry brought out the possessive and protective side of Tom, and he promised himself that no harm shall befall Harry again.

Tom stopped once they were below the most beautifully decorated garland, full of white, pink and red roses and took both of Harry’s hands in his to warm them better than the gloves can. With a soft smile, Tom leaned and whispered into Harry’s ear, making shivers go down his spine, “Harry... Would you like to be mine?”

That question stopped Harry’s breathing for a few moments. Could this be? He stared dumbly at Tom, with hopeful eyes, waiting for him to retract his question, in case he did not mean it seriously. When he noticed that Tom’s expression was genuine, Harry began nodding frantically, while exclaiming, a tad too loudly, “Yes! Yes, I would, Tom!” with a huge grin taking over his flushed cheeks.

At the truly stunning sight, Tom’s heart stopped beating for a bit and he leaned once more, this time to capture Harry’s lips with his in a sweet kiss that sealed their relationship. Both of them could not help but smile during the kiss, pulling away soon after to hug each other tightly. The other passersby were all silently in awe at the endearing couple before them.

Tom was glad Harry accepted his offer, since he did not know what he would do, had Harry said no. And now that they were together, he could help Harry’s business grow and protect him better.

Satisfied with their newfound closeness and the change in their relationship status, the two began their stroll once more, before departing home with another kiss.

* * *

 

The past three months have been both great and scary for Harry. Tom is a wonderful partner: always thoughtful and a very good conversationalist, not to mention how easily he can turn Harry to mush with his affections and smirks. Also, his business is doing better than ever, making sales even from people who did not reside in Hogsmeade, despite having the same sort of services in their own villages and settlements. That is, however, when the scary part comes in. The murders of Hogsmeade have started once more and powerfully so. The killer seems even more ruthless and the townspeople are all terrified to sleep at night and that includes Harry.

The murders do not even seem to be connected. The killer apparently does not discriminate by gender, or wealth, or even blood status, like the Aurors first suspected, since the bodies of two pureblood light wizards have been found recently. All the residents are now suspicious of each other and Hogwarts no longer allows children on Hogsmeade weekends. But that is certainly for the better, because they cannot risk students being murdered.

Nowadays, Harry is barely able to sleep at night, instead having short naps during the day, whenever there are not many people inside the shop. He feels terrible now more than ever. While more and more people are in mourning, Harry is having his pockets steadily filling with galleons and his caskets being sold. The grim store has begun being a hotspot for the village people, some even browsing in case of their own deaths.

In other words, the morale is at an all time low. This night is especially difficult for Harry, owing to the Aurors not discovering any more bodies recently. It makes the people on edge all the time, suspicious of each other.

Moreover, Draco has sent him a letter just a couple of days ago. At first, Harry did not even want to open it, honestly scared of what may lie inside it, but when he did, what he read made him more afraid than before. Inside, there were photos of them when they were together and a simple parchment saying: “Don’t you think we were beautiful?” It made Harry even more paranoid, whipping out his wand at every sound and ruffle behind him. What if Draco would visit again? What if he would hurt him this time? He has not done that ever before, but what if this would be the first time?

Harry shook his head to clear it of there thoughts. Deep breaths. Nothing would happen tonight. He kept telling himself that as he put out his light and went to sleep. It was way too early to be asleep, only 7 pm, but if he could get in a couple of hours of sleep, he could stay up until the morning, and then nap at noon, during his lunch break.

A mere half an hour later, just as Harry felt himself go into the land of dreams, the sound of his floo fireplace flaring to life made him bolt upright in his bed. Who the hell could it be at this hour? The killer would not be able to enter with this means, could they? With a gasp, Harry thought: ‘What if it’s Draco?’ It would not be the first time the blond has visited him by floo. He did so multiple times when they were together.

Carefully, Harry brought out his wand and tiptoed to his living room, where the fireplace was. He hid behind a wall and mentally counted to three, before slamming the door and pointing the wand at whoever was there, while shouting: “Petrificus Totalus!”

Harry heard a sharp intake of breath, before he saw the figure of Tom Riddle falling to the floor, effectively petrified. Harry’s eyes widened to the size of saucers and he immediately muttered the counter-curse, kneeling beside his boyfriend.

“Oh God, Tom, I’m so sorry! I was just not expecting you and I thought you were someone else, so I attacked you for no reason!” Harry spoke in one single breath. He offered Tom his hand and rose him from the floor, before giving him a kiss and a hug.

Tom, however, was not that pleased, “Someone else? Who else would you be expecting at this hour?” His jealous self was rearing its head again. Ever since the beginning of their relationship, Tom has grown progressively more possessive, demanding Harry’s attention whenever he was around and growing envious whenever Harry spent time with someone but him. Harry found that endearing about him, feeling as if no one could hurt him when Tom was beside him.

“Well, no one. But I thought that you would be the murderer... Or even Malfoy.” Tom’s eye twitched when the blond was mentioned, as always. He has been trying to ease Harry’s tension when it came to this particular wizard for a while now, but he seems increasingly more fearful that he might one day pop in and hurt him in any way.

“And why on Earth would Malfoy even come at this time?” Tom’s question was meant to be rhetoric, to make Harry realise that he has no reason to worry at all and that Draco would no longer be bothering him. So when instead of that, Harry went to his work desk, pulled out an envelope and handed it to Tom soundlessly, he knew something was up.

After looking at what the albeit short letter was and what it was implying, Tom lit it on fire with his wand, feeling his blood boil more than the fires in hell. So this was how Malfoy wanted things to go. It was fine by Tom. He would not mind torturing the pureblood senseless the next time he saw him. Now, though, he had to focus on his Harry and making him feel better.

And so he embraced him and started whispering soothingly into his ear, “It’s going to be fine, Harry, love. You are safe with me, remember? I will not let anyone touch you, so do not worry about the murderer or Malfoy anymore. I’ll make sure they will stay far away from you.” He then kissed Harry’s forehead and began caressing and treading his fingers through his wild but soft hair. Harry just sighed, feeling all of his troubles melting away with the presence of Tom there, especially while in his strong, but warm hold.

“You aren’t going to hurt him, are you?”

“Huh?”

Harry broke away slightly to stare into Tom’s beautiful and dark eyes, “Malfoy, I mean. You aren’t going to hurt him. I know he is a right prat and stalkerish having sent that sort of letter, but I don’t want you to hurt anyone. Please.”

With the way Harry was looking at him, Tom slightly considered listening to him. He knew Harry was a true bleeding heart, who, despite what being the owner of a funerary services shop might imply, had everybody’s best intentions at heart. There were some for whom he had ill wishes, though most of the time, hearing about someone getting hurt or dying did not do him good. However, Tom was aware that he needed to set the Malfoy heir straight if he ever wanted to set an example for his followers, his inner circle, that his Harry was not to be touched by anyone but him and whoever did so would suffer.

Although he loathed to admit it, deep inside he knew that Tom was by no means innocent. The extent of his misdeeds, he was not informed of and did not even have a hunch of. That is not what is important. What truly matters here is having Tom not breaking the law and causing harm to others. Tom’s lifetime aspiration was to be Minister, after all, and so these kinds of actions would sully his reputation, which needed to be spotless, at least until he secured his position.

“Say,” Tom started, burying Harry’s head into his shoulder anew, “Would you like me to move in? I know it is sudden and you may not be prepared for it yet. Or not want me sharing your living space. My though process was that if I were to stay here, you could still run your business without an issue, while I could be here and protect you while at night, so you can get some proper sleep,” was suggested. At this, Harry’s head snapped up to look at Tom with a slightly shocked expression, and Tom began to move his thumb across the area beneath Harry’s stunning green eyes.

“H-How did you know?” Harry winced, an embarrassed flush creeping its way up his neck.

“Please, Harry, did you forget who you are talking to?” Tom said, then leaned forward so Harry could feel his hot breath fan across his cheeks, the younger of the two gulping in both anticipation and slight intimidation at the sudden closeness. Honestly, Tom could be kind of scary when he got all up close and serious like that.

“Or do you think I’m stupid, hm?” Tom whispered, his lips touching Harry’s with such softness, Harry just wanted him to just kiss him already. Both of their hearts beat as if they were trying desperately to escape their chests and they could feel that about each other, due to them being pressed together intimately.

When he saw that Tom had no intention of bringing their mouths together properly and fully, Harry went ahead and did just that, taking the initiative and pushing himself up on his tip-toes, just so he could reach his handsomely tall boyfriend. Immediately, Tom answered, hungrily demanding domination in the deepened kiss, wrapping his arms around Harry’s waist, while Harry did so around his neck. With a playful smirk, Harry denied Tom his silent request, starting a battle of the tongues between the two.

Tom opened his eyes at that and, seeing Harry’s mischievous grin, he went ahead and lifted the smaller built wizard so he could wrap his legs around his torso, and sat him down on the desk where the damned letter had been just minutes ago. The gasp that Harry released at Tom’s actions allowed the older man to win and Harry lost, not minding at all when the feeling he got from his boyfriend’s kisses sent him into a frenzy of lust and pleasure.

“Is that a yes?” Tom murmured before leaning down to pepper Harry’s neck with butterfly kisses, making sure to suck on the spots that would be the most noticeable once they formed bruises, his possessive side having been awakened by Draco’s imprudent move on Harry.

“Oh, Merlin, yes,” Harry moaned as encouragement for Tom to go further and just stop talking. Tom, both understanding Harry’s intention and self-satisfied that he got Harry to agree with his proposition, gave the younger just what he wanted.

The next morning, when Harry woke up, he realised with an incredibly red face what he consented to and lightly hit Tom for coercing him into saying what he wanted through the indecent means. While it was not their first time doing this, Harry was still immensely shy and flustered when it came to making love. He would have said yes anyway, but Tom needed to be reminded that that is not the way you are supposed to persuade someone! With the cute little frown Harry did when he was poutily angry at Tom, he turned over to the other side of the bed and resumed his rest, too deprived of it for Tom to insist upon his awaking.

* * *

 

It had been three months since Tom moved in with Harry and things were going great between the two concubines. It turns out, as Tom found out recently that he is indeed capable of love, and he is utterly in love with Harry, unlike the old coot was speculating, due to the unfortunate circumstances in which Merope Gaunt, Tom’s mother, had fallen pregnant, through drugging the muggle Tom Riddle with a love potion.

This definitely explains how soft he gets around Harry and how he is ready to do anything and everything to keep him happy. And this includes helping him gain customers by also getting rid of people who live in Hogsmeade that are in his way to becoming Minister. He has recently secured the position of Senior Undersecretary. It was only a matter of time until the Minister, Cornelius Fudge, would step down in favour of Tom, if his persuasive abilities were to be trusted and they definitely have proved to be so.

Harry, of course, does not know what Tom is up to in that regard and he has been trying to slowly ease Harry into the idea of darker arts, with the motivation that it would do him good to be able to defend himself properly if need be in Tom’s absence. There were not many occasions in which Tom could not be seen at Harry’s side like they come in a pair, but he still had his career to attend to, as well as meetings with his inner circle. Speaking of which, Draco has absolutely been put in his rightful place the meeting following Tom finding out about the letter sent to Harry. Tom’s partner did not need to know how Draco had to vow on his magic not to harass Harry ever again, as well as not to flirt with him or come closer than 2 meters away. Tom is a jealous man indeed, though his Harry never gave him any reason to be so.

He was always extremely faithful to Tom, keeping his distance from the rare flirtatious customer. Honestly, who could even be in that sort of mood when the store is offering funerary services?

On the topic of his shop, it was doing fantastically, sales-wise. And despite Harry feeling extremely safe around Tom, the deadly atmosphere is just too much to bear these days. The Aurors have no leads whatsoever, all possible clues heading into entirely opposite directions. Never before have they met such a disastrous and puzzling case.

Harry, however, had his suspicions. He knew it was wrong to suspect your significant other of such a thing and yet, once every week and a half or so, Tom’s aura would seem too dark and stifling for Harry. It was without a doubt, the aftereffects of murder. His feelings on this were a right mess. On one side, he felt guilty for even mentioning his business to Tom, as he took it in his hands to solve his problem and he did so in a rather unnecessary and gruesome way, but Harry was not about to confront him about it until solid proof came along. On the other hand, they are doing really well financially and while that is not really a problem of his, having inherited the whole Potter family vault, it certainly made him feel the slightest bit accomplished, that he is able to make his own profit.

With a sigh, Harry closed the book he was currently reading, not finding much interest in it seeing as his mind drifted to him problems and not managed to focus on the information the tome provided. “Tom?” he called, too comfortable to leave the armchair he was seated on.

“Yes, darling?” Harry blushed at the pet names. He always did. Even though his name sounded brilliant enough when articulated through Tom’s skillful lips, the endearing ways Tom addressed Harry were his favourites to hear from his boyfriend. Especially during more intimate activities. Tom emerged from the kitchen, while drying his freshly washed hands on a towel.

Not many could guess that one of Tom’s hobbies was cooking. Harry only did it out of obligation, this very aspect having been ingrained in his brain from the Dursleys, though he seems to have begin breaking that mentality recently. Nonetheless, his boyfriend was a wonderful cook. As with the majority of things he tries out, actually. He mostly attributes his gastronomical prowess to his definite inclination towards Potions, often drawing parallels between the two.

“I think it’s time we moved. I really do not feel at ease, what with all of the murders happening here. It just feels like a cheap muggle horror movie. I no longer enjoy going out in the village for a walk, because the atmosphere is so heavy. The streets are not lively, the people are secluded in their homes most of the time and some even look at me like I’m at fault for everything happening! Please, let’s just find some other place for the shop, another town and start fresh. Merlin knows we’d need that,” after another moment, he added: “Or I can even begin training as an Auror. Maybe having this shop running is a mistake. I could accomplish my teenage self’s dream,” Harry muttered while chuckling slightly.

Tom, on the other hand, had a deep frown on his face by the end of Harry’s little speech. He did not like the idea of Harry becoming an Auror, not one bit. First, it would be dangerous for him, as he could not escape missions where he needed to actively participate.

Secondly, almost the entire Auror Department was preoccupied with the Hogsmeade murderer these days and he can not have Harry hearing something that might incriminate Tom. Harry is exceptionally bright and perceptive, despite many having underestimated him in the past. It was enough having to hear Weasley accuse him left and right. He is not allowed to tell the details of the investigation to Harry, though he has been dropping hints whenever he visited and, if he joined, there was the risk of him convincing Harry to gather evidence that might lead to Tom. While loyal, he is not entirely sure whether Harry would place justice over Tom or not yet. So there was no way he could risk this.

And so, he crouched beside Harry’s armchair and clasped one of Harry’s hands in his: “While I do agree that we need to find another place to live in, I simply cannot let you become an Auror, Harry. It is simply too much of a dangerous job for you. I cannot bear the thought of losing you, just as important people to you have passed on owing to being in this career or being close to someone who was. Trust me when I say that you should not have anything to do with them, especially not with the murderer on the loose. What if you come close to the truth and he comes and takes you away from me?”

Tom knew the murderer would not do that, since he is him, but he needed a way to talk Harry out of being an Auror. It may be some form of emotional abuse, but he was right in saying it meant risking his life. Tom only hoped his words had the desired effect on Harry and when he saw him nodding a bit dejectedly, he knew he had managed to do it.

“Okay,” was all Harry said while wiping his eyes before any tears had a chance of escaping. He gently gave a peck to Tom’s lips before smiling at him. There it is, the look that always succeeded in stealing Tom’s breath away. Sometimes, he still could not believe Harry was in love with him. Although not completely aware of his misdeeds, he was considerably darker than Harry was and the green-eyed beauty did not seem to mind it in the slightest most of the time. The only times he appeared bothered were after a particularly dark spell cast by Tom. He sighed, completely enraptured by his Harry.

“I’ll start looking into places we could move into first thing in the morning, then,” Tom finally said with a soft curl of his lips. “Now, though, I have to get on with my pasta,” was added with a chuckle from both of them. The couple loved those domestic moments, where they could just relax in each other’s presence, in their home.

Sure enough, after a mere week of searching, Tom presented Harry with the choice of moving into Godric’s Hollow, a fact that overjoyed Harry, since it was the place where his parents and him lived until he was five. While Tom did not particularly like the idea, the location being too full of light wizards that were convinced that if you dabbled into the dark arts, you were suddenly a Dark Lord in the rising, he did it for his Harry. As long as he could see his elated grin every morning, Tom was eager to simply ignore his neighbours.

* * *

 

Tom and Harry’s first anniversary found them in their wonderfully cozy cottage in Godric’s Hollow, next to which was their new Magical Funerary Services shop. Since the one in Hogsmeade closed down and the murders continued, though less frequently, something Harry found a bit suspicious, the customers still visited the perimeters of Harry’s store, despite the location change. Harry guesses that he has been an addition of the village that was worth remembering.

Their anniversary day was spent at home, full of loving gestures and quality time together, something they did not have as often as they did at the beginning of their relationship due to Tom finally being named Minister. He needed to work harder the first few months, so he could guarantee the public’s trust and begin his work towards implementing some of his grander views, such as the re-introduction of dark magic courses at Hogwarts, as well as the old holidays that have recently been replaced by the muggle versions, to accommodate muggle-borns. They needed to adapt to the wizarding culture, not vice-versa.

In any case, their love still burns as bright, despite their lack of time together nowadays. Tom is indisputably taken in by Harry’s gentler nature, though his insides curl when he sees him lose his cool with a rude customer or when his favourite Quiddich team loses. This was, after all, what he was first fascinated by: Harry’s raw chaotic energy when rubbed the wrong way. Likewise, Harry, in spite of having seen Tom’s not so wholesome sides, still views him as a gentleman towards him, capable of doing anything to make sure he feels loved and appreciated, something he desperately sought in a partner. They are young and in love and have their whole lives ahead of them.

Back to the present, a week after their amazingly domestic anniversary, Harry was just tidying up the house, after Tom had had to leave in a hurry with urgent Ministry affairs, when he remembered how Tom always insisted that Harry keeps out of the basement. His argument is that it was full of doxies and boggarts that they did not have the time to clean yet and so there was nothing to see, and yet Harry could not help but let his imagination and curiosity wander. What if that is where Tom does the killing?

Merlin, Harry did not even know for sure that it was in fact Tom, but his gut instinct kept telling him this and it has been right on numerous accounts. Besides, there were too many coincidences to ignore them like that. Despite being a Gryffindor, the Sorting Hat almost placed Harry in Slytherin, so he had a healthy dose of both common sense and reckless inquisitiveness. Thus, the only answer would be for Harry to enter the basement and see for himself.

He checked the clock and noted that Tom should not arrive home in less than an hour, since when he has to leave so suddenly, it is usually for an impromptu meeting that lasts at least 45 minutes.

With that information in mind, Harry silently crept towards the padded door of their basement, part of him dreading what was about to come, but he knew he had to do this. If only to put his worries to rest, or put a stop to Tom’s killing spree if his suspicions turn out to be true. Taking a deep breath to calm his nerves, he gently unlocked and opened the door, mindful of the dreadful creaking as if anyone could hear him. Tom and Harry lived alone, but Harry felt like he had to be careful in this mission of his, as Tom would likely not be extremely pleased if he found out.

The adrenaline inside Harry’s veins kept building up until his heart nearly exploded by the time he reached the bottom of the staircase. That’s it. No turning back now. Harry mustered all of his courage and quickly opened the door to the actual basement room, casting a bright “Lumos!” using his wand.

Inside, his worst fears were proved to be right. On the unclean rough rock flooring, the body of the nice lady who initially helped Harry settle in when he moved in Hogsmeade, barely out of Hogwarts, his heart crushed by the death of his godfather. She appeared to have been mercifully murdered, at least, if that was something to be joyful about. The lack of apparent injuries seemed to indicate that the Killing Curse has been uttered to end her life, though it was certain she was already dead by the sickly yellowish tinge of her sallow skin and putrid smell that was prevalent in the cramped room.

Harry’s stomach turned upside down, as he, in a last effort to hide his discovery, rushed up the stairs to the main part of their house, locking the door to the basement and immediately flinging himself at the downstairs toilet to throw up what was left of Tom’s deliciously cooked breakfast. It was not the first time he had seen dead bodies, having been present at the burials of both his parents and his godfather, and yet he could not help but feel nauseous each time he was exposed to a corpse.

Doing his best not to let the bile rise up his esophagus anew, Harry washed his face and teeth to get rid of the horrid taste and calm himself down, before heading with slow steps towards their living room, to sit in his favourite armchair that they brought over from their former home and grab the nearest book available. He was not able to get anything into his head after what he had seen, but he had to appear natural to Tom when his lover got home.

Sure enough, twenty minutes later, the distinct sound of apparition could be heard and Harry, forgetting he had to act as if nothing happened, bolted upright, only to see Tom casually enter their front door and hang his outer robe. His eyes locked with Harry’s while there was a smile on Tom’s handsome features, though at the clearly shaken form of Harry Potter, a worried expression replaced it instantly.

“Harry, love, what is wrong? Are you alright?” Tom asked in obvious concern, striding to come closer to his boyfriend. He placed his hands on Harry’s cheeks that were red from the violent act of throwing up earlier as tenderly as one would hold the most fragile piece of porcelain and tears filled Harry’s brilliantly green eyes.

“Why, Tom?” was the only thing he could whisper, brokenly starting to sob and refusing to lean on Tom as he always did when he was in distress. He shook his head to free his face from Tom’s gentle grip and kept staring at Tom for an answer.

“Why what, dear?” Tom said, a his face growing more puzzled at Harry’s sudden mood swing. Whatever could have happened now? If it was that Malfoy prat again, Tom swore this time he would mur-

“Why did you kill all of those people when I specifically told you not to hurt anyone? Do you care so little about my feelings?” Harry shouted out of the blue. His emotional state was a right mess now and it was Tom’s fault. And he could not turn to his boyfriend now for support, since he was the cause for his sorrow.

At Harry’s words, Tom’s world froze. Harry knew. How did he find out? It’s not like he left anything behind. Maybe with the exception of...

“You entered the basement, didn’t you?”

Tom’s empty question filled Harry with even more rage, “Of course I did! How could I have not when you told me bullshit like ‘It hasn’t been cleaned yet’?! Did you forget I was a literal house elf for my relatives for a big part of my childhood, or do you honestly think a bunch of doxies would scare me? I’m not as fragile as you’d like me to be!”

There it was. The raw fury that first attracted Tom to Harry, now being thrown at him. And he rightfully deserved it. A couple of years ago, he would not have admitted he was wrong, not even with his dying breath, but now things were different. Now he knows what it is like to be loved. To be cared for. In his own twisted way, Tom’s sole intention was to help Harry out. So this came out of a place of willingness to help.

Thus, Tom uttered some words that not many had the privilege to hear from his mouth, ever: “I’m sorry. I really am. I did not think it would affect you this much. To be perfectly honest with you, I only wished to have your business thrive. You told me how confused you were, so I wanted to be useful. I knew how much the business meant to you and I did not want you to lose it and at the time, I could not come up with a better way to support you. I now realise I was in the wrong and I apologise for that.”

Sometime during his apology, Tom lowered his head, afraid of what Harry’s expression might be. What if he left him? Wild panic filled him at the thought. He could not let that happen, he just could not-

When he came face to face with Harry again, his visage betrayed no emotion whatsoever, as if someone had been asked to make a stone carving out of the most stoic look that Harry could sport. Harry’s cold gaze sent shocks of pain through Tom’s heart, something he had never experienced to such an extent before.

“I shall have to think about your apology, Tom. I cannot forgive you this lightly for what you have done. I dearly hope, for the sake of this relationship, that you can understand my feelings this time.”

With that, Harry left, not even taking a single glance back at Tom’s hurt-filled gaze. What has he done? How could he have defied Harry in this manner? He was even aware of how much his lover was bothered by death. So why had he done it? Perhaps there really is a monster inside Tom, just as the caregivers at the orphanage used to say to him...

* * *

 

A couple of sleepless days later, Harry found the determination to step out of Number 12, Grimmauld Place, his godfather’s house, where he had not been able to reside after his untimely death. This time, though, he felt at ease, as if Sirius was with him again, comforting him and helping him think clearly through the situation.

What Tom did was unforgivable. Harry knew that. He had taken lives and destroyed families, such as Harry’s has been by the same type of people. No... Tom is different from them. They could not hold such affection in their gazes. Their touch could never be as careful as Tom’s was, their shoulders always ready to be cried on. Harry believed Tom to be able to be guided towards a brighter path, with support from him, of course.

Harry was no fool. He did not truly think Tom could become a whole new person, a light wizard. But at the very least, he could help Tom decide his courses of action, devise plans that had as few casualties as possible. After all, Harry was convinced he would always love Tom, no matter what. Thus, he is willing to compromise.

This is what he decided to do after thinking over things restlessly. His friends would not agree if he were to tell them, which he does not. His family from above would not. Society would not. But Harry did not care about them. Tom was more important than what others think.

The crack of apparition. Tom’s head snaps up at that. Wand in his hand, prepared in case Harry decided to turn him in, he approached the entrance door with calculated footsteps. What he did not expect, but desperately hoped for, was Harry to burst open the door and hug him tighter than ever. At that, Tom’s eyes filled with tears for the first time in a long while, before burying his head in Harry’s shoulder and letting out all the built up fear and anxiety he felt these past few days.

“Oh, Harry! I have been so worried you would leave me! Please, please, forgive me! I promise I will try not to do these kinds of things in the future. So please, stay with me...”

Rationally speaking, Tom knew he was not himself at the moment. But that was the thing, he did not care about being rational right then. What was important was that Harry would not leave. His state has been deplorable since their fight. He did not eat or even sleep, only thought about ways to make it up to his Harry. Ways to say he was sorry. Ways to make him stay because sweet Merlin, did he love him. It was the first time for him and he was afraid he would lose it all. He prayed for Harry to return to him and he did. Tom could not be more grateful for that.

“I forgive you, Tom. And I will also do my best to help you make the Wizarding World a better place. I promise you that I will not leave you. I will be there with you every step of the way. So please,” was hoarsely whispered as Harry dabbed away with the pads of his fingers at Tom’s tears, “stop crying, okay, love?”

Tom nodded furiously and did his best to rein in the sobs that had been violently shaking his body. The two sealed their making up with a kiss that conveyed all that they did not say.

“I love you.”

“I love you, too.”

* * *

 

Tom Riddle, Minister for Magic and Harry Potter, former Magical Funerary Services owner were now the main leaders of Wizarding Britain. The laws that they passed made sure everyone felt accepted in their secret world, even the blood purists, whom Tom convinced of their views soon after the two lovers made up. Since the murders stopped, the Aurors had no choice but to close the case after three years, defeated by the mysterious Hogsmeade murderer that one day suddenly stopped his attacks.

And even when Tom would mess up, Harry was right there with him, ready to help fix whatever mistake he did and vice versa. They were stronger than ever, and Harry was glad to know that his decision to help Tom turned out to be a good one, despite what the world might have said if they had known of their circumstances. Tom convinced Harry to become immortal with him, the prospect of them spending the eternity together too tempting. But if they ever get tired of this life, they are capable of remorse, because they have each other. Harry was there for Tom. Tom was there for Harry. All was well.


End file.
